Our Nature Cannot be Changed
by Hail King Cerion
Summary: Like everyone in the Sky Box, Nathan was one of a hundred that had committed a crime on the Ark and as all crimes go, he was meant to be floated when he turned eighteen. Instead, he and the other delinquents were sent to earth, to survive and get to Mout Weather before they are either starved to death or killed one another. Oh, it also doesn't help that he's Kane's son.


_**Hope you all enjoy!**_

* * *

Chapter 1: Homecoming 

* * *

"Day one hundred and twenty-six, how long until I am floated? **Scoffs** And I'm talking to myself, again."

Maybe if he knocks on the wall of his friend, he'd get another pounding conversation.

His home is the Sky Box, where he and many wayward teens sit and rot until they are reevaluated or condemned to the worst possible way to die, by being Floated.

Sighing he ran a hand to pull back his short dark hair, rubbing his pale face which was caused by being born in space. He laid back and tried to blame his dad for putting him in here knowing he'd die when he turned eighteen, but thinking about it only made him even madder at himself for doing it.

If only he had-

Cut off from the self-pity he saw and heard the cell door open, two guards entered looking as mean as they are stupid. He groaned in frustration, with a tiny bit of panic as this might mean something terrible.

"What the hell? I have a month left before I turn eighteen." He tried to argue but they weren't having it, not like they would even care.

"Face to the wall, Prisoner 317." One of the guards said while another one was taking out a bracelet of some sort.

The shit hurt, stung like a needle being forced into your arm. After that, he was dragged out of his cell and put in line with several others.

Not everyone was going so quietly, looking back he saw his cellmate for the past 126 days resisting, stopping for another woman and then getting knocked out. He realized the person he's had quiet knocking conversations with was Clarke Griffin, daughter of Doctor Griffin who 'helped' him through detox. He didn't have long ogle before he was pushed along, stuffed into a large ship and pushed into the same seat as the unconscious Clarke Griffin.

Despite the situation, she looked really pretty. A beautiful young woman with a pale complexion, blue eyes, a round face, dimpled chin and blonde hair tied up.

"Hey, can I sit there?" He looked up. His eyes widened at the sight of him.

Wells Jaha, son of Chancellor Thelonious Jaha and a golden boy of the Ark. Wells has brown skin, dark eyes and short black hair with an athletic build.

Angered flared when he looked at him, the same anger he'd throw at his dad because it was this Ark and that ruined his life. He took the chance to take it out on Jaha's son who was waiting for him to answer him, he instead finished buckling in his seat and giving Wells a hateful look.

"How about you find yourself a corner to crawl to, it's how your father and the Counsel would act." He stated and Wells grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt but was pushed into the seat on his right by a guard who was traveling with them to wherever the Ark was sending them, not that it wasn't a hard guess.

Earth, they are being sent to the Earth.

The ship jerked and he suddenly felt himself being dropped along with everyone, the dropship was launched from the station. His heart rate spiked in both unwanted adrenaline or fear because they've been sent to a planet that wasn't supposed to be livable for another hundred years.

His panic caused him to grip the first thing he could, the hand of Clarke Griffin which woke her up. Surprise he tore it away and offered an apologetic expression.

"Sorry about that, I'm a little uh, jittery about this." He confessed though he wished he wasn't so talkative, too damn nervous considering it's been like that since he was a kid, couldn't tell a lie to save his life when he's under pressure. Clarke's face softened but her eyes were as panicked as everyone else was, as he was.

"No. It's natural. Wait, you are Kane's son," He scoffed and jolted as the ship rocked again, "What was that?" He shook his head at her question, unluckily for them, another person was able to.

"That was the atmosphere," Wells told them. Clarke expression contorted into surprised anger and went to ask Jaha a question, but the monitors turned on.

"Prisoners of the Ark, hear me now. You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself. We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you, expendable." He grimaced and turned to Wells, glaring at him.

"So we're going to die by radiation instead of being Floated, your dads a dick, Wells." Wells turned away from him, and so did he and tuned out the rest of what the Chancellor was saying.

They got some entertainment during this death walk, after all, a guy he used to know was out of his seat and floating around.

"Finn you crazy bastard," He called out and Finn floated towards them.

Finn is a physically fit guy with long brown hair that reached just above his chin. His eyes are dark brown, and his skin is light. He, Finn and another by the name of Raven were all close friends shortly before someone close to him died. After that Finn was put in the Skybox for an illegal Spacewalk and he was charged with theft.

"Long time no see." Finn greeted then turned to Wells, "And I guess your dad Floated me, after all." He chuckled, seeing the humor into it and received looks of disapproval from both Clarke and Wells.

"You should strap in before the parachutes deploy," Wells advised Finn who didn't look to be listening to him, it was pretty funny actually. Clarke began telling two who were following the leader out of their seats. After that, Finn turned his eye on Clarke and began talking to her, Wells didn't seem to like that meaning the guy's in love.

"Stay in your seats!" Clarke yelled out to the two following Finn.

Then everything took a terribly wrong turn.

The parachutes deployed and it felt like the ship was kicked like some ball, swerving around as they made it closer to the ground. He closed his eyes and hoped for a quick end, not a painful one as before he saw Finn and the other two go flying, knocking on the roof and broke what looked like pipes, _Is this how I die?_ he thought and hoped it wasn't.

Today most definitely sucks ass.

* * *

Back on the Ark, everyone was in a panic within the communications room for the 100 people sent to the Earth. One of which was Callie Cartwig, she entered the room and walked over to Marcus Kane, a member of the Council who seemed more calmer than everyone else.

"Not now, Callie." He told her and walked over to Sinclair.

"Total system failure. That's what we're looking at." Sinclair began, and Marcus wasn't liking any of it. "All we know for sure is that they were off course when we lost contact, so- " He stopped the man right there.

"Tell me about communications." He ordered and Sinclair said as much.

"Other than the telemetry from their wristbands, we got nothing- No audio, no video, no computer link." There was a pause before Sinclair finished telling Marcus and the rest what the situation is elevating towards, "Everything that we programmed in to help them is gone." The room fell silent other than the monitors that had the faces of one hundred teens was flaring.

But he was simply looking at the face of his son, Nathan.

* * *

Back on the dropship, he was panicked and worried if Finn or the other two were alright. Again, he grabbed Clarke's and even Wells hand because of how scared he was.

"Retrorockets ought to have fired by now," Wells said and tore his hand away. He smiled sheepishly, then back to being afraid.

"It's okay. Everything on this ship is a hundred years old, right?" Clarke shot back, she didn't sound all too convincing, to say the least.

"Very inspiring!" He said with a large dose of sarcasm but neither of the two wasn't so concentrated and instead bickered amongst themselves over some drama.

Wells looked across from him, towards Clarke and tried to apologize, "Clarke, there's something I have to tell you." Jaha started, the ship shook once more as the Chancellor's son continued, "I'm sorry I got your father arrested." _Arrested, wouldn't be the word I have chosen,_ He thought as arrested on the Ark meant you get Floated. Clarke's frightened face became stern as she told Wells to not talk about her father, to which Wells replied, "Please! I can't die knowing that you hate me." Wells plead his case, he snorted internally at that because no one would forgive someone for getting your loved ones killed.

He certainly wouldn't.

"They didn't arrest my father, Wells, they executed him. I do hate you." With that everyone braced for the end, to plummet or burn to death in a fiery explosion.

Only, they didn't.

There was a loud crash before everything went quiet, the machines and lights went out and after a few moments they came back on and everything was good as new, or so he'd like to think if not dying was good, which it was, obviously.

Finn. Remembering his friend he unbuckled his seat and rushed to see if the guy was okay, Clarke followed behind as they hurried.

"Finn, is he breathing?" He asked, surprisingly he and Clarke both asked that question. This one was dead, head bleeding out from the back and Finn shook his own head, checking the other one that tried to play follow-the-monkey. He sighed and got to his feet while taking a couple steps back, this was all so surreal.

"Clarke. Everyone's going to the door." He warned Clarke who quickly jumped to her feet and almost bumped into him.

He glanced at Finn one more time, feeling sorry because he knows Finn will blame himself but those guys got out of their seats on their own free will, not Finn's. He turned from his friend and walked toward the entrance where everyone was gathered, seeing the same guard from before telling them to stop.

The guy was taller than him by an inch, with an olive complexion and thick brown hair gelled back and a pair of brown eyes, he also looked physically strong.

"Stop!" Clarke shouted to the guard as she climbed down, when he went down he slid like he would when working in engineering. "The air could be toxic." She told the man who didn't look scared of the fact that they might die, what a prick.

"If the air's toxic then we're all dead anyway." Before the man could send them to their deaths, a girl called him out from the crowd and he remembered her voice.

"Bellamy?" He turned and saw the same girl walk forward.

It was the girl on the left side of his cell, another talking buddy beside Clarke. This is also the first time that he could actually look at her too, she was pretty. She was olive-skinned like the guard, has long dark-brown hair and green eyes.

She walked up to the one named Bellamy, the guy was incredibly happy to see her, relieved, even.

"My god, look how big you are." They embraced in a moment of reunion before she noticed Bellamy's jacket, "What the hell are you wearing? A guards uniform?" She questioned and Bellamy frowned and looked down before meeting her eyes.

"I borrowed it to get on the dropship. Somebody's got to keep an eye on you." The girl giggled before hugging Bellamy again.

When he saw Bellamy's hand on the girls back, he saw no wristband like the rest of them. "He's got no wristband." He whispered to Clarke who noticed it too before frowning and confronting Bellamy.

"Your wristband, where is it?" Clarke asked and Octavia gave Clarke the meanest look he had ever seen.

"Do you mind? I haven't seen my brother in a year." He widened his eyes in shock, no one has a brother or any siblings on the Ark, hell even people who bore twins had to choose which child gets to stay on the Ark and which one gets terminated.

"No one has a brother!" One of the 100 shouts from the back, then another explains who this girl and Bellamy are.

"That's Octavia Blake. The girl they found hidden in the floor." Octavia lunged but was stopped by Bellamy who told her to give them something else to remember her by, Octavia asked what and Bellamy smirked and said with a strong voice.

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years."

He was blinded by the light and the air pressure as the door opened, after that, he gasped in shock and surprise.

The place was beautiful, almost as if there wasn't a nuclear war that destroyed all of humanity on the ground. He chuckled and took in some of that earthy fresh air. He looked from Wells, to Clarke, and to Finn with a bright smile on his face and thankful that they didn't die coming down here.

Octavia extended her arms and says the appropriate words they were all thinking.

"We're back, bitches!"

With that being said, everyone flooded out of the ship and danced around the forest and he wasn't excluded from that. He laughed and walked around, before looking up and flipping off the Ark in space, wherever it is and he doesn't care in the least because they sent them down to die and they are alive, no need of the Council or Jaha.

 _Especially you, dad._

* * *

Back on the Ark, everyone was watching in surprise and fear of the success. The 100 have made to the ground, now the question remains is are they doing alright.

Kane was one of the few that were worried of this project, he was putting his son into a position of being Floated, or to give him a chance at life on their home planet. He was skeptical, especially when Abby put forward this idea where he would have went for better and quicker ways to give them all a solution to the failure of the system.

He wondered if he made the right call in voting for this, but from what he is seeing or hearing, it seems like a spark of hope was ignited inside of him.

"Here it is. We know they've landed, but the communications are down, which means we're still blind to the conditions on the ground." He started and gestured to Abby, "Thanks to Abby's wristbands, at least we know how those conditions affect the human body, which is more than we've had for a hundred years, so nice work." He gave credit where it was due, then turned back to the monitors, "Now, what are they telling us?" He asked and Abby clarified.

"Two dead kids, dark tiles." And he saw that, among other things. "Dr. Jackson, please share our theory with Councilor Kane." Abby's colleague then explained that the fatalities were because of the landing, not the air, he nodded and turned back to the monitors, looking especially at Nathan's tile, "Both boys died at the same time that we lost contact with the dropship." He partly believed it and was partly skeptical about their theory.

"Rough landing? That's your theory?" Abby told him that it matches up, "Would you agree that if it was radiation, we'd see fatalities climb fairly quickly now? Because I'm noticing a lot of red on that board." He added and Abby continued in saying that it was a spike in vital signs, one, that it was injuries from the landing, "And the other?"

"They're excited to be there." He showed a ghost of a smile, partly glad that Nathan isn't dying from radiation.

Much better than he was a few months ago.

* * *

He huffed and got up from the heap of trash that used to be their way of communication, a lot of the stuff was damaged and panels are missing.

Walking towards the entrance he nodded for Wells to follow him, sharing the same frown as him.

Apparently, they had been dropped on the wrong mountain which irritated him, Clarke and Wells, because they don't have food, or warmth or supplies if one of them gets injured. There is only so much that ropes and metal can do.

"It's all went to hell!" He exclaimed and jumped down to take a seat next to the map, "The comms are fried. Panels are missing. We have no way other than these," He raised his hand which had the bracelet, "Which I deduced to send vital signs. Which means... " He hinted and Wells finished.

"Which means we need to go on foot for the supplies." He nodded grimly. This has started like crap, a little good in the middle and now back to crap.

Clarke grimaced, possibly hoping this was supposed to be easy but it isn't, it never is.

"Well, all that matters is getting to Mount Weather. Here. This is us, this is where we need to get to if we want to survive." He smiled, she's a planner. Their all going to need that because a hundred teens with no food or supplies mean chaos, or at least that's what he read about in the old books on the Ark.

"Alright. When do we- "

Hearing the shuffling of feet he turned to see a boy with goggles approaching. has brown eyes, thick dark brown hair, pale skin and a slim figure. He remembered his name too because he lived in the same side of the Ark as him, Jasper Jordan who is usually accompanied by his partner in crime, Monty Green who is of Asian descent. He has an oval face shape that is framed by his straight, black hair, tan skin, and deep brown eyes.

"Cool, a map. Got a bar in this town? I'll buy you a beer." Jasper hit on Clarke who clearly wasn't interested, but it did bring a reaction out of lover boy, Wells.

"Wells, leave the guy alone. He's as harmless a mouse." He told Wells who sent him a glare but took his hand off of Jasper who sent him a thankful expression.

"We need to get to Mount Weather," Agreed, but some people didn't feel so compelled to aid in their survival.

"We're on the ground. We're safe. Isn't that good enough for you?" Bellamy on the far side asked Wells, him, and Clarke. A crowd also began to gather, one coming from the left and led by a boy who is of a slim build and medium height, with brown hair that hangs just above his ears, dark blue eyes, and a prominent nose.

Tired of Bellamy's asshole-ish behavior already. He shocked himself for defending Wells Jaha.

"Hey, I hate the Ark and Jaha as much as you all do. But come on? How long do you think we'll survive out here on our own, do any of you know how to hunt? Or fish? Or make houses? I don't think so." He explained and many of the 100 were keeping silent, except for a few.

"That sounds awfully like your father, Kane. He and Jaha all but ignored my dad's pleas before Floating him. Why should we listen to you?" He sighed as he turned to the one speaking to him about his dad, narrowing his eyes on the jerk. Fed up with the dickery, he smirked and cocked his head sideways in false confusion.

"My dad Floats a lot of people, your dad probably deserved it- " A fight almost broke out as the one named Murphy came at him, clearly angry for insulting his dead dad.

Murphy swung at him, he ducked right and with a left hook to Murphy's face, he pushed the fellow delinquent back. Murphy wasn't down and came back at him, and stupid Wells tried to stop the fight and got knocked down and hurt his ankle, yelling in pain. Murphy went to kick Wells in the head but Finn came out of nowhere and got in between them the three.

"I think that's enough, yeah?" Finn asked Murphy and then him and Wells, he nodded and let it go.

The fight stopped but Bellamy hadn't shut up, the guard said that they could go and get the food they need and he didn't hesitate to volunteer to go with, it's the least he could do to help the growing community of criminals.

He was readying a makeshift camping bag, rolling it up and walking back out of the dropship where he saw Clarke waiting with Wells, checking his leg for any serious injuries. He past her a bag, but instead of saying anything she ignored him which made him confused.

"So, are we leaving?" He asked and she nodded, only then Finn came over with his hands in his pocket.

"Cool. Can I tag along?" He smiled with a nod and shook hands with Finn.

"How are you three going to bring back enough food for a 100 people?" He and Finn looked behind them and smile, grabbing both Jasper and Monty and bringing them forward in a friendly gesture.

"The five of us. Are we good?" He asked Clarke who smiled gratefully, yet no words were said.

It was a moment before more footsteps came towards them, he turned and smiled lightly at Octavia for coming over.

"Sounds like a party! Make it six." He was glad his other cellmate was joining the retrieval party, though he doesn't believe she knows who he is, neither does Clarke. They never got to telling each other their names when talking to one another, it made it less painful for when they are inevitably reviewed and sent to Float.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bellamy asked and he found himself annoyed, does this man ever just smile and let live?

"She already has you for a protective brother, does she really need a warden to make her feel more like a prisoner?" He said snidely, earning himself a glare from Bellamy and a smirk from Octavia.

God, he has to get ahold of his attitude. He sighed and wanted to offer an apology, but in the end, he just stayed silent and walked away. It was only a moment of walking that he saw that no one was following, instead, it seemed that Finn and Clarke were talking, after a couple minutes she, Finn, Jasper, Monty, and Octavia came over and it started an unofficial game of following the leader.

* * *

Back on the Ark, Callie came to the communications room to check on their 100. Specifically, her son.

Nathan.

She begged Marcus to spare their son the death that awaited him on earth, it was a reason she avoided speaking to him after the dropship was launched. She even moved out of their compartment and back to her own because of the fighting.

She missed her son, ever since that incident that got him locked up in the first place, yet it doesn't overshadow the blame she sent to the one who ruined his life. Shelby Bannon, she groaned internally just remembering how messed up she'd gotten her baby.

Removed from her thought's she saw Abby come into the room, possibly to check on her own child that was sent to their home, their real home.

"He, darling. How's Clarke?" She asked after walking over to her, Abby offered a brave smiled and gestured to Clarke's monitor.

"Her vital signs are strong, blood sugar is low. She hasn't eaten." That was the one thing she wished that they had put on the dropship, some food for them to keep themselves fed before getting to the supplies in Mount Weather. "Nathan is also doing fine, though his adrenaline is spiking up then going down in minutes, hopefully, it's from heavy lifting and excitement." She smiled and looked at her son's monitor, thinking he looks so much like his father, he hardly took any resemblance from her.

A phone began to ring and Abby quickly picked it up, "This is Dr. Griffin. On my way." Abby's face became worried, which in turn made her worried. "Jackson. put it out there. We need blood- 'A' Neg. And a lot of it. And then get your ass in the O.R." She chased after Abby.

"Abby, what's wrong?" She asked and what her friend said to her made her extremely worried.

"The Chancellor's been shot."

And now the troubles began, crap.

* * *

Back on Earth, Nathan groaned as a branch whacked him in the face, again.

Hearing sniggering he turned back and glared at Jasper and Octavia, he shook his head as Octavia went ahead but stopped so Finn could put a flower in her hair, Octavia blushed a little with a wide smile.

"Now that, my friends, is game," Jasper said to him and Monty, he shook his head while Monty explained why it isn't.

"That, is poison sumac." Octavia whipped it out of her hair, he and Monty broke out laughing, payback for laughing at him back there with the branch.

"What, It is?" Octavia said and then turned to him, who still had a smirk across his lips, "And you, take that look off your face." That made him smirk even wider.

"They're not poisonous. Medicinal, calming, actually." Monty explained, Jasper thought it was nice because The Greens make most if not all the pharmaceuticals on the Ark, well, with him as an exception and Shelby.

Clarke wasn't tolerant of their conversation and stopped to turn to them, a mission ready expression on her delicate face.

"Hey, guys, would you try to keep up?" He chuckled and she turned to him, and he shut up right away. Finn, on the other hand, had something to say.

"Come on, Clarke. How do you block all this out?" Finn asked her, gesturing to the beautiful, loves to whack you in the face, forest.

"Well, it's simple. I wonder, 'why haven't we seen any animals?' Maybe it's because there are none. Maybe we've already been exposed to enough radiation to kill us. Sure is pretty, though. Come on." And like that, she marched on and he found himself admiring her a bit, she sure has the same drive as her mother.

He smiled and was the first to fall in line, going ahead with Clarke while Octavia made a joke which made Finn and the others snort in agreement. They traveled a bit further before Finn started asking how they all ended up in the Skybox, seeing as everyone knows about the Spacewalker of the Ark.

Apparently, Monty and Jasper indulged in more herbs than they could replace, so they ended up in the box with the rest of them. He could understand that.

Monty, this time, asked the question towards him.

"How about you, Nathan. How'd you get locked up?" Finn gave him a sorry look, and he tried to fight the harsh comments and answered him, with a few different parts of the story.

"Not so different as you and Jasper, I just happened to have my own stash of medications and was caught with them by Shumway. And into the Skybox I went." He said with an amused tone, fighting the painful memories from before getting locked up. Next came a tactless question from Jasper who couldn't stop ogling Octavia, not that it wasn't without reason, she is beautiful.

"What about you, Octavia. What'd they get you for?" Octavia's answer made everyone grimace, feeling pity for her and her own troubles.

"For being born."

He hurried ahead after that, noticing that Clarke had stopped and Octavia rushed over to see what it was. He wore a crooked smile as everyone else also was wearing, it is because only a few feet away he and the others were looking at a deer, not one they've seen in the old films but a real, living creature.

If only his mom and dad could see this- He was cut from his awe by being terrified, the deer turned sharply to them and it had two heads, that is going to leave a few nightmares for later as it darted away, leaving them in a state of shock because they hadn't expected that, not in the slightest.

* * *

On the Ark, Marcus was standing inside the control room where they were monitoring the 100. Soon enough, Abby came through the door and Callie asked how the Chancellor was and he was reminded when Shumway informed him that Thelonious was still in surgery and that the shooter was identified, Bellamy Black, he went to Earth for his sister, Octavia Blake. The boy had the motive, but someone helped him, someone, who is still at this station.

"Who else did we lose?" He watched Abby ask and a man said it was John Murphy and John Mbege, one moment they were fine and another they died, "Then it isn't radiation." He would agree, everyone would be dead if it was, perhaps Bellamy is targetting the 100 in its entirety and that angered him.

"We have to remember that some of these kids aren't average criminals. I can count at least 12 of them were arrested for attempted and successful murders, that's why we should have sent guards down to watch them." He put in his two cents, Abby sent him a grateful smile, a first for her and he nodded back at her.

They both have a child they want to survive down there, and he hopes Nathan keeps his guard.

* * *

Back on the ground Nathan and company were walking down a hill, conversing as they went down it.

"Why send us down after 97 years?" Finn asked and he wondered that as well, he'd thought the Earth wouldn't even be an option for another 100 years at least.

"Who cares? I'm just glad they did. I woke up rotting in a cell, and now I'm spinning in a forest." Octavia said and spun around a tree, giving Finn the 'eye', you know, the one that says 'I want you', much more than what she exudes when looking at Clarke, he could see that look meant 'I want you, to burn in flames', it was all fun and games, really.

Monty was pumping out theories on this, whether it was because of a satellite or a weather satellite. Clarke, instead, filled them in on the big secret why everything happened as it did, why they were sent to the ground in the first place.

"It wasn't a satellite. The Ark is dying." He stopped and turned around, mouth agape at what she said.

"That's why you were locked up? Why you know so much?" He asked and she nodded.

"At the current population levels, there is roughly 3 months left of oxygen left- Four, now that we're gone." She explained to them, Finn came at her side and asked her if that was why they kept her in solitary, and why they Floated Jake Griffin, Clarke's father, and Abigail's husband, "My father was the engineer who discovered the flaw. He thought the people had the right to know. The Council and even my mother disagreed. They were afraid it would cause a panic." She said and turned to everyone for a moment before continuing, "We were going to go public anyway when Wells- " She paused, and Monty filled in the blanks.

But he knew a different side. No, he didn't know the Ark was dying, that sort of stuff his parents kept quiet about. One night he was getting his fix when he overheard his mother talking to Abby outside his room, his dad and Thelonious was there and he heard most of it.

It was Abigail who ratted on Jake, not Wells and he should tell her but it was so long ago, what would Clarke knowing the truth do now? Nothing. It wouldn't help their journey and nor would it resurrect the dead, he knows the pain. He also sure as hell isn't going to say anything in front of Octavia, Finn, Jasper or Monty. Only Clarke should hear it.

"Anyway, the guard showed up before we could. That's why today. That's why it was worth the risk. Even if we all die, at least they bought themselves more time." After Clarke was finished, Monty asked if they were going to kill more people, he turned to his fellow criminal and patted him on the shoulder with a sad look.

"It's the council, for survival, they'll Float as many people as they could." He said with gritted teeth, angry that Jaha and the Council believe that at any means necessary is a good thing, it isn't and that's why they need to show them that Earth is survivable.

"Good, after what they did to me. I say, Float them all." Octavia said snarkily and he found himself losing his patience.

"Well, unlike you. The rest of _your_ family is down here." He didn't catch himself before he said it and immediately felt guilty. Octavia frowned and her eyes blazed with anger and sadness because Bellamy is all she has left as the laws are clear, only one child per family, anyone breaking it is sentenced to death, meaning Octavia and Bellamy's mother was killed, "Octavia, I didn't mean- " She stormed off before he could apologize, everyone but Clarke followed and even she had done the same after giving him look.

He didn't rejoin the group until he heard a loud splash, he ran to the edge and saw a river. Octavia had jumped in and everyone was getting their clothes off. he was nudged by Finn who had a smile on his face, he smiled back and reached for his belt, that was until he saw something swarming in the water, behind Octavia.

It grabbed her and he searched for a weapon and remembered he put a long-bladed piece of the ship inside his pack, he grabbed it out while everyone was shocked in fear where Octavia was being dragged under water.

Without thinking he dived in, not knowing how to swim but he couldn't let her get hurt.

Whatever he jumped on was large, had no legs and was slippery to the touche but he gripped into the skin and began jabbing it a dozen times before it let Octavia go and went still, he was taking a lot of water into his system and was losing consciousness, he didn't even remember Finn getting him out, Jasper grabbed Octavia and made sure she was okay.

He was heaving heavily, adrenaline was pumping his blood looked into the water as the creature floated up, his metal weapon sticking out of its neck.

"That is a big ass creature." Monty pointed out, and everyone was chuckling with him.

"Yeah, supper?" He asked and was patted on the back by Finn, he helped him bring it to the shore and put to the side to bring it once they bring the supplies from Mount Weather.

The day was ending, they had to make camp for the night. He used the bladed metal to cut open big pieces of the River Snake, putting it on the fire for dinner. Finn and Monty went out for more firewood and Octavia and Jasper was talking amongst each other. As for him and Clarke, they were enjoying the warmth and getting ready to eat.

"That was brave. What you did today." She said and he was surprised, usually to exchange words he had to make the first move. It was a nice change of pace.

"It was nothing, I couldn't let her get hurt. I already put her down with my tactless mouth." He said with a hint of amusement, she smiled, "You don't like me, I know it. I would like to know why?" He asked, hoping, begging to get an answer from her and took some time before Clarke spoke to him.

"I guess... It started when you talked like that to Murphy. You really sounded like Kane when they Floated my dad. Of course, I'd like to believe like your nothing like him, I truly would." He felt his will ebb away and his guilt began to settle in, he wants her to know the truth. He chuckled a little bit, earning him a look of confusion, "What?" She asked him and frowned.

"I think I know you, your personality, anyway. You like to see the good in people, if that is true then there might be good in me, but. What about Wells?" Her face darkened a little and a frown crossed her lips, "I don't think you know the whole truth as you think, about what happened to your dad." She scoffed harshly but kept cool despite all of this.

"Oh, and what would you know? You weren't there to see him to be killed." He nodded, yeah, he wasn't there but he knows how it happened and it might hurt more than it does when Wells took the fall for it.

"I'll tell you later, I'll be keeping the first watch." He said and nodded to Monty and Finn walking back, "Alright guys, let's eat some snake. It might taste like chicken, whatever chicken tastes like." Everyone wasn't so convinced, but they ate it anyway because here, no one can be a picky eater.

A few hours pass as the last of the fire burnt out, he watched everyone rest and was getting drowsy himself before he watched the trees come to life.

Not in the fantasy side like in that old book by Tolkien, but the trees began to glow a bluish-greenish light and he cracked a small smile. He got up to stretch his leg while eating some leftover snake, for a large thing, it stood no chance against the appetites of six teenagers from space.

He sighed and walked over to Clarke, kneeling down to her sleeping form and gently waking her up, she groaned in resistance but eventually opened her eyes.

"What?" She asked, her voice was quiet from the sleep and he smiled and gestured around her, her eyes widened then and took in the almost magical sight around the forest, "What is all this?" She asked him and shrugged, mainly because he didn't know himself.

"Possibly mutations from the war, I mean, glowing trees are fare from killing a giant snake in the river which wasn't supposed to be there." He quipped and she giggled, "Aha! She laughs, from the way you marched through the woods today I expected a harsh comment and a demand for fifty push-ups, General Griffin." He said with sarcasm and she smiled.

"And don't think I won't." She said seriously and he feigned fright. The joking stopped when she remembered from earlier, "About what you knew about my dad, why do you think it wasn't Wells, you don't even like him." She reminded him and yes, he doesn't like Wells, but that doesn't he approves of 'innocent persons being punished for the guilty', and Wells is an unfortunate exception.

"I want you to be sure the truth is what you want, it will cause as much pain as you already feel." He said to Clarke with a saddened hesitance, she stepped closer to him until she was a few inches from his face, almost near touching as she pierced him with her stare, it was full of determination and readiness.

But can she, really?

"I can take it. Now tell me." He opened his mouth to speak, but the crack of a twig pulled them both from each other and looked to see Finn standing there.

"Didn't think you guys were up, come on, I gotta show you something," Finn said, but his voice wasn't as cheerful but more upset than anything. Clarke didn't move but he did, in the other direction.

"Nathan, wait." He ignored her and kept going, he needed to get some rest for tomorrow.

The next morning everyone was up, packing their things and setting them in a pile. He, Finn and the other boys helped make a long rope of vine and wire he found from an old ski cart. Nearly a half-hour later, everyone was gathered near the river, it would have been easier to walk across, but they don't know if there are more River Snakes, so this was their best bet.

Clarke wouldn't stop staring at him, piercing him with her blue eyes. He doesn't expect to get away from her questions on her father, but the longer he could avoid them, the better. He sighed and sent her a narrow glare for her to back off, it didn't work as well as he'd wanted it to. So, he put his focus on the task.

"Okay, who wants first?" He heard Finn ask, a hint of nervousness in the Fly-Boys tone meaning he wants someone to go ahead.

"I'll do it." He said with a bit of trepidation in his voice, taking a deep breath and grabbed the vine. Before that, though, he was tapped on the arm and turned to see Jasper looking hungry, for either excitement or food.

"Can I go first, Nathan?" Jasper asked him. Only then did he notice the look of yearning he saw the guy giving Octavia.

Yet the gesture wasn't reciprocated as Octavia was looking at him, possibly grateful for saving her yesterday, but it wasn't just him, he didn't pull her out of the river, that was Jasper. _Don't worry, bud, I'll help you out._ He smiled and stepped away from the vine, letting Jasper grab the rope and prepared to swing across.

"Nicely done," Finn said to him, he nodded and cheered with everyone as Jasper swung over to the other side.

Jasper suddenly stopped and picked up a large metal sign, raising it up and a smile broke on his and everyone's faces. They made it to Mount Weather.

The good times all came to a halt when out of nowhere, a long staff thing flew and spiked Jasper through the chest, pinning the goggle-wearing delinquent to a tree.

The Earth just got a whole lot dangerous, and that they aren't the only people in these woods.

* * *

 ** _AN: That's all she wrote for the starting chapter, usually don't make them this long, but didn't know how to end it until now. I do hope everyone enjoyed the beginning of this, been on the mind for some time and if not, I have a tons of other more expanded stories to keep your interests until this one gets better._**

 ** _Until next time, farewell._**


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